2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series – Silverstone 10km

Silverstone Motor Racing Circuit, Northamptonshire

Tuesday 6th May 2008

NIGEL STIRK representing Tipton Harriers won the opening round of the 2008 East Midland Grand Prix Series at the world famous Silverstone motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire.

On a warm evening, Stirk crossed the line over the 10km course in a time of 31mins 19secs as the 36-year-old Leicestershire Fire Officer finished ahead of Coventry's Scott Hazell by a margin of 20 seconds with Gary Harris of Headington third in 31:45 and Beaumont's Phil Chritchlow taking 4th in 32:12.

In the Women's race Suzie Bush of Aldershot, Farnham & District out paced Hinckley's Beth Eburne, winner of the race twelve months ago, to take victory by 13 seconds in a time of 35:00.

Reigning East Midlands Grand Prix champion Nicki Nealon from Huncote Harriers finished in fourth place in 37:08.

Full results are available on the following link: http://mcs.open.ac.uk/mkac/08emgpsilverheader.htm

The next race in the 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series is the Rugby 6 that takes place on Wednesday 14th May - start time 7.45pm

Sunday 4th May 2008

KENYA’S Bernard Kipyego and Australia's Benita Johnson stormed to convincing victories at the 2008 BUPA Great Edinburgh Run.

London-based Johnson, the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country champion blew away the challenge of Kenya's Rose Cheruiyot by a margin of 13 seconds.

Johnson completed the 10 kilometres course in 32mins 20secs, with Aniko Kalovics of Hungary third.

Bernard Kipyego won the Men's race after a sprint finish with Boniface Kiprop, who has now been runner-up three times in the Scottish event.

Johnson, who missed four months training during the winter with a knee injury, waited until the halfway point before making a decisive break on a steep hill. That saw her eventually pull a healthy distance clear of former Amsterdam marathon winner Cheruiyot.

"After my injury, I'm so happy to win here," said Johnson, who was forced to withdraw from last month's London Marathon, I put in a lot of hard work before Edinburgh and, over what was a hard course, I'm delighted to see the benefits of that.

"This is a great win for me and, after being out injured for so long when I got very frustrated, this tells me I now have a strong base to build upon towards the Olympics, my performance clearly showed I've got strength and I am going forward after being out for so long."

Vicky Gill battled bravely over the testing terrain and although weary at the end was happy being first Brit home when finishing sixth in 35:02.

In the Men’s race Commonwealth 10000m gold medallist Boniface Kiprop in his third Edinburgh appearance was edged out of victory again in a sprint for the line by Bernard Kipyego.

The Ugandan a two-times runner-up in 2005 and again 12 months ago, made a strong break just 200 metres from the finishing line with Kipyego following as the 21-year-old Kenyan last year's World Cross long course bronze medallist, immediately made his own strike winning by three seconds in 28min 59sec with El Hassan Lahsinni of France just a second behind Kiprop.

"We decided we would run together before the race and the course was rather harder than I thought it would be," said Kipyego.

Leicester’s Moumin Geele representing Newham & Essex Beagles finished in a fine fourth place in a time of 29mins 49secs. Tomas Abyu still waiting for Olympic marathon selection was the first domestic finisher when seventh in 30:44. That was four seconds quicker and a place ahead of Commonwealth marathon bronze medallist Dan Robinson who won the UK title ahead of Abyu in the Flora London Marathon last month.
Leading Results:
Men
1 B Kipyego (Kenya) 28:59; 2 B Kiprop (Uganda) 29:02; 3 El Hassan Lahsinni (France) 29:03; 4 M Geele (Somalia) 29:49; 5 V Rothlin (Switzerland) 30:19; 6 M Ionecsu (Romania) 30:37; 7 T Abyu (GBR) 30:40; 8 D Robinson (GBR) 30:44; 9 D Lashyn (Ukraine) 31:13; 10 J Walsh (GBR) 31:38
Women
1 B Johnson (Australia) 32:20; 2 R Cheruiyot (Kenya) 32:33; 3 A Kalovics (Hungary) 33:32; 4 J Augusto (Portugal) 33:58; 5 K Jarzynska (Poland) 34:27; 6 V Gill (GBR) 35:02; 7 F Maraoui (Morocco) 35:05; 8 H Farhoun (France) 37:10; 9 J Ritson (GBR) 37:57; 10 P Todoran (Poland) 40:01

Friday 2nd May 2008

CHARNWOOD'S Jane Potter led the way for Team England's women at the National du Conseil General Marseille 10km race in the South of France.

The 26-year-old followed her second place finish on her recent half-marathon debut in Redcar by clocking a time of 34mins 12secs to cross the line alongside team mates Sophie Morris and Alyson Dixon.
Leading Results:
Men
1 Silas Kipruto (KEN) 27:28 (course record)
8 Ian Boneham (ENG) 29:52
10 Ben Moreau (ENG) 30:25
12 Dave Wardle (ENG) 30:58
14 John Mellor (ENG) 31:23
Women
21 Atsede Habyamu (ETH) 32:13
41 Jane Potter (ENG) 34:12
43 Sophie Morris (ENG) 34:12
46 Alyson Dixon (ENG) 34:23

Full results are available on the following link: http://bases.athle.com/asp.net/liste.aspx?frmbase=resultats&frmmode=1&frmespace=0&frmcompetition=025313

Thursday 1st May 2008

BRITISH Masters 5km champion Gordon Lee, less than 24 hours after representing the Leicester Owls at the Nike National Road Relays in Birmingham, won the Great Daffodil 15 mile road race at Kelmarsh, Northamptonshire.

The 41-year-old crossed the line in a time of 1hr 22mins 29secs over the tough and demanding course.

Full results are avaialble on the following link: www.theresults.co.uk/theresults/Results/2008/Running/0427_Marie_Curie_Daffodil_Run_15M.pdf

Sunday 27th April 2008

NICOLA CLAY produced an excellent performance to win the SIG Insulations City of Sheffield Half Marathon.

The 35-year-old Leicestershire athlete, winner of the 2006 Experian Robin Hood Marathon, representing Stilton Striders crossed the line in a time of 1hr 18mins 53secs to take victory ahead of Becky Penty of the City of York (1:20.07) and Notts AC's Nicola Bamford (1:20.20).

Full results are available on the following link: www.race-results.co.uk/results/2008/sheffhalf.html

2008 Nike National AAA 12 & 6 Stage Relays Championships

Sutton Park, Birmingham

Saturday 26th April 2008

LEEDS CITY AC and Aldershot, Farnham & District triumphed at the 2008 Nike National AAA 12 & 6 Stage Relays Championships held at Birmingham's Sutton Park.

On the warmest day of the year so far in the United Kingdom, Darran Bilton, winner of the Vet40 title at the recent Flora London Marathon, anchored home the Leeds team as they successfully defended their 12-Stage Men’s title, finishing ahead of Midland champions Notts AC in a combined time of 4hrs 09mins 40secs, whilst, Aldershot, despite missing European junior cross country champion Steph Twell, held off a strong challenge from Chester-le-Street to win the Women’s 6-Stage title by a margin of just four seconds as Vicky Gill brought them home in a time of 1:41.48.

Winchester & District AC with Loughborough University graduate Louise Damen recording their fastest stage claimed the bronze medals in 1:44.45.

Defending national champions and reigning Midland territorial title-holders Charnwood AC once again had to juggle their squad with Tara Krzywicki still unavailable following foot surgery, Jane Potter and Sarah Maude absent and Clare Mensley currently competing in America on Birmingham University’s Ivy League Tour, they did, however, welcome back Midland cross-country champion Hannah Whitmore to the team.

The Loughborough-based club clocked a combined time of 1:46.27 to finish in 5th place overall, this partly due to Juliet Potter recording a superb final leg stage of 16:06, the fastest overall individual time of the day to move the team from 11th place to fifth at the finish.

Charnwood’s team consisted of Amber Magee (18:38), Clare McKitterick (18:51), Beverley Grey (18:33), Hannah Whitmore (16:27), Loughborough student Katie Lomas (17:52) and Juliet Potter (16:06).

Karen Brooks led Harborough AC to 35th place overall in a time of 2:01.35 with their team of Sarah Haines (17:29), Hannah Eveleigh (19:16), Nicola James (22:12), British Masters international race-walker Toni Boa (20:48), Katy Kenyon (21:42) and Brooks (20:08).

In the Men’s race the Leicester Owls finished in 9th place in 4:18.37 with a team that combined a mixture of youth and experience, British Under-23 international Rory Fraser producing the best of the individual performances for the Wigston-based club, the Leeds Metropolitan student having celebrated his 21st birthday the previous day clocked 26:11 (10th fastest overall) on the third leg long-stage.

The Owls team consisted of Gordon Lee (27:12), Steve Platts (15:26), Rory Fraser (26:11), Tom Bell (15:39), James Boxell (27:30), Tom Mahon (15:43), Geraint Davies (28:25), Edward Highton (15:49), Tim Doran (29:33), Paul Miles (15:14), Mark Powell (27:00) and Paul Richardson (14:55).

Harborough AC were the only other Leicestershire team in action at Sutton Park finishing in 49th place in 5:01.22 with their squad of Andrew Robinson (30:29), Dave Waddington (17:06), Sean Fenwick (31:10), Chris Webb (18:02), Will Clapp (31:35), Steve Costall (17:51), Jason Pitcher (32:54), Scott Speller (18:50), Martin Gore (32:33), Kyle Barber (19:08), Tom Duck (32:04) and Richard Brown (19:40).

Report by Mark Woolley.

Full results are available on the following links:

Men 12 Stage

www.race-results.co.uk/results/2008/nat1208.htm

Women 6 Stage

www.race-results.co.uk/results/2008/nat6w08.htm

FREE photographs of the championship races to download are available on the following link: www.flickr.com/photos/baldeagle/sets/

2008 Boston Marathon

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Monday 21st April 2008

DEFENDING champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya won his fourth Boston Marathon, while Ethiopia's Dire Tune claimed the women's crown in the event's tightest finish.

Cheruiyot, the first Kenyan man to win four Boston Marathons after victories in 2003, 2006 and 2007, controlled the pace through the hilly Boston suburbs and was followed in second place by Abderrahime Bouramdane of Morocco.

It was the 16th time since 1991 that a Kenyan has won the world's oldest annually contested marathon, part of the World Marathon Majors Series.

The 29-year-old put distance between himself and a thinning pack of runners about one-and-a-half hours into the race but slowed in the final stretch to miss by 32 seconds his own 2006 course record.
"The course is so tough, so it feels great to me," he told a news conference after winning the $150,000 winner's prize and becoming only the fourth man to win four Boston Marathons.

He also earned a likely chance to represent Kenya at the Beijing Olympics in August.

The real drama was in the women's field, where Tune and Russia's Alevtina Biktimirova battled shoulder-to-shoulder through the final stages with both runners sprinting ahead of the other as they neared the finish line.

"I am happy to be winning in Boston," said Tune, 22, who placed second in last year's Olympic Commemoration Marathon in Nagano, Japan, and is only the second Ethiopian to win since the women's competition began in 1972.

Biktimirova, 25, trailed by just two seconds, finishing in 2:25:27.
"I wanted to win very badly. I was fighting until the end," she said. "In the end I just didn't have enough speed."

In the men's race, Cheruiyot finished the 112th edition of the Boston Marathon in an official time of two hours, seven minutes and 46 seconds, in ideal race conditions with temperatures around 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius), partly cloudy skies and little wind.

Bouramdane finished second in 2:09:04 and Khalid El Boumlili, also of Morocco, third in 2:10:35.

www.bostonmarathon.org

DBS Derby 10km

Pride Park, Derby

Sunday 20th April 2008

BETH EBURNE representing Hinckley Running Club triumphed at the Derbyshire Building Society 10km race held in cool rainy conditions in an event that attracted a record-breaking field of over 3,500 runners to the East Midlands city in both the main race and the supporting fun run.

Eburne, the 26-year-old British marathon international clocked a time of 36mins 09secs to take victory at Derby’s Pride Park Stadium to complete her third consecutive win over the distance in 2008 on the roads - having won in Sheffield and Fradley last month.

Fellow Leicestershire athlete Nicola Clay of Stilton Striders, as with Eburne a previous winner of the Experian Robin Hood Marathon, was second in 36:29.

Finalist in the 800m at the Manchester 2002 Commonweath Games aged just 17, Charlotte Moore, running for the University of Birmingham finished in 5th place in 38:22.

Martin Whitehouse (31), a sports and remedial massage
therapist representing Notts AC won the Men’s race in 31:27, fifteen seconds ahead of second placed Johnny Gilby, this having finished runner-up twelve months ago.

www.sporting-futures.org.uk/10kResultsPage.html

Sunday 20th April 2008

LEICESTER CORITANIANS claimed fine bronze medals at the 2008 Midland Masters Four-Stage Road Relays held in cool damp overcast conditions at Birmingham's Sutton Park.

They finished just over a minute behind the champions Tipton Harriers this after Welsh Masters international Rob Sheen had placed them in second place after the opening stage.
Leading Results:
1 Tipton Harriers 65:48, 2 Bournville Harriers 66:28, 3 Leicester Coritanians 66:56 (Rob Sheen 15:44, Craig Sabin 17:04, Richard Mason 16:58, Dave Pearce 17:10)

www.midlandmasters.org.uk/

2008 Flora London Marathon

Sunday 13th April 2008

Men's Race

MARTIN LEL of Kenya produced a breath-taking and fastest ever performance over 26.2 miles witnessed in the United Kingdom to storm home in a rain-soaked Mall to secure his third Flora London Marathon title following a thrilling sprint finish with compatriot Samuel Wanjiru.

Lel successfully defended his men’s title as he finished in a stunning time of two hours five minutes and 15 seconds, holding off the strong challenge of Wanjiru, who came home in second place nine seconds adrift, Mark Woolley reports.

Lel running a sound tactical race resisting to go with the fast early pace justified his pre-race favourite position smashing the previous record set by Moroccan-born American Khalid Khannounchi back in 2002 by a margin of 23 seconds.

The incredible pace set in this year’s race was further emphasised by the finish of third-placed Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco, whose own time of 2:05.30 was also well inside Khannounchi’s previous best time.

As the athletes gathered in Greenwich for the start defending champion Martin Lel chasing his third London victory having won in 2007 and 2005 lined up against a stellar global field assembled by race director David Bedford featuring Osaka World champion Luke Kibet and Italy’s reigning Olympic gold medallist Stefano Baldini - plus the American trials winner in New York last November, Dan Ryan, who made a superb impact last year here in London when finishing 7th with the fastest-ever debut marathon performance by a US athlete recording 2:08.24.

This year also marked the one hundreth anniversary of the modern marathon when at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London the race was set to measure 25 miles (40km) and to start on ‘The Long Walk’ leading up to Windsor Castle in the grounds of Windsor Great Park.

The then Princess of Wales wanted her children to watch the start of the race, so the start of the race was moved to the east lawn of Windsor Castle, increasing its length to 26 miles (42 km).

The race was to finish at the Great White City Stadium in Shepherd's Bush in London; however, Queen Alexandra insisted on having the best view of the finish; so, in the words of the official Olympic report, "385 yards were run on the cinder track to the finish, below the Royal Box. The length then became 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards).

In that 1908 race Dorando Pietri of Italy, collapsed several times and ran the wrong way not far from the finish-line, so two of the officials took him by the arms, and brought him to the line. As a consequence, after crossing the line he was disqualified. The medal went to American Johnny Hayes who was second over the line, but the glory went to Pietri.

Here in 2008 un-like the women’s race the men’s event employed pace-makers as the predictable African train of athletes set a blistering and suicidal opening pace over the opening miles with only Ryan Hall, the American champion, in only his third marathon of his flourishing career prepared to challenge and try to break up their monopoly.

The quick pace was fully emphasised at the 10km point as the pack led by Eritrea’s Yonas Kifle went through at world-record pace in a remarkable split time of 29:10, well inside Haile Gebrselassie’s 2007 mark set in Berlin last September, leaving Kibet and Baldini a minute off the lead.

Leading Brit’s at this point over half-a-minute down on the leaders were Salford Harrier Tomas Abyu - having already run the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard on an unmeasured course in Dublin and twenty seconds adrift from him the Commonwealth bronze medallist Dan Robinson and Pete Riley running side-by-side.

The incredible pace continued where at eight miles the leaders were remarkable over a minute-and-a-half inside World-record pace. The big group of nine athletes combined with two pacemakers continued with the extremely quick pace that would ultimately split the group apart as Lel running his own sensible race sat in with the pack playing the waiting game through 12 miles with another 4:52 split.

Reaching 20km in under the hour mark with a 58:58 clocking the leader Emmanuel Mutai of Kenya, the winner of the ING Amsterdam Marathon last October, injected the pace as he flew over Tower Bridge and through the halfway point as compatriot and reigning World champion Kibet decided to drop of the pace preferring to concentrate on gaining a solid finishing time and consolidate his place in the Kenyan team for Beijing which was his main aim coming into the London race.

The race took a slight detour from the scheduled route because of a gas leak on a road just over Tower Bridge. This added two or three yards to the distance, the first time in the 27-year history of the event that the route was altered during the race. Organizers said that other than the extra distance, the runners were not affected by the gas leak.

Dan Robinson - as with Liz Yelling in the women’s race was wearing the Team GB colours looking for inspiration on the road to Beijing - combined with Tomas Abyu to move thorough in the second chasing group alongside Baldini.

As the pace makers moved away leaving the athletes to battle it out for the title, the destination of the men’s race came down to a leading group of just six athletes containing Lel, Wanjiru, Goumri, Mutai, Hall and Mergia as the rain started to fall across central London with Lel staring to gather his challenge going through 30km in a new African area record of 1:28.29 to further under-line the amazing pace set by the men in London this year.

The group was then whittled down to four as 21-year-old Wanjriu, Lel, Gourmi and Mutai combined to go through 35km in an astonishing split time of 1:43.54.

Robinson meanwhile was really beginning to attack back in 13th place, heading for a personal best time and already assured of an Olympic place after finishing 11th in last year's World Championships in Osaka, the Stroud Harrier powered past a tried looking Baldini as the rain became even heavier.

On the Embankment and following the turn into Birdcage Walk the fast sub-world record pace in the early stages, combined with driving rain did eventually slow the leaders slightly where Lel, the reigning New York champion, made his attack, the 29-year-old is a tactically astute athlete and a true marathon specialist as underlined when he made the final move for victory over the final 500 metres where Wanjiru could not respond and Lel completed his stunning victory in a new course and UK all-comers record time of 2:05.15.

Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri, second last year when he was out kicked by Lel, had to settle for third this time as Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai finished fourth, Ryan Hall of the United States was fifth in a new personal best of 2:06:17 and Ethiopia's Deriba Merga sixth - all clocking impressive sub-2:07 times.

Robinson ran a brilliant time of 2:13.11 - more than 40 seconds better than his previous best - to finish in 12th place, just behind Olympic champion Baldini.

Leicestershire’s Phil Chritchlow representing Beaumont Running Club finished with a superb new personal best time of 2:32.30 to finish in 77th place as he led a quartet of top county club runners over the line as the Belvoir Half Marathon champion Chris Southam of Stilton Striders clocked 2:34:48 to finish in 94th place.

Tim Doran from the Leicester Owls crossed the line in 128th place overall in 2:36.39 on his marathon debut and Hinckley's Chris Jordan recorded 2:37.56 to finish in 150th position.

Britain’s David Weir won his third Men’s Wheelchair title in a row after a perfectly timed late sprint to the line took him clear of his rivals. Weir's time of 1:33.56 beat Australia's Kurt Fearnley into second place with France's Denis Lemeunier in third.

Weir has had to battle back from several months out of the sport with glandular fever, but his incredible strength in the closing straight was once again too much for a high-class field.
Leading Results:
Men
1 Martin Lel (Kenya) 2:05.15; 2 Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya) 2:05:24; 3 Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco) 2:05:30; 4 Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) 2:06:15; 5 Ryan Hall (US) 2:06:17; 6 Deriba Mergia (Ethiopia) 2:06:38; 7 Yonas Kifle (Eritrea) 2:08:51; 8 Felix Limo (Kenya) 2:10:34; 9 Aleksey Sokolov (Russia) 2:11:41; 10 Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa) 2:11:44; 12 Dan Robinson (Great Britain) 2:13.11

www.worldmarathonmajors.com/

The 2009 Flora London Marathon takes place on Sunday 26th April - on line entry is now available on the official web-site at: www.london-marathon.co.uk

2008 Flora London Marathon

Sunday 13th April 2008

Women's Race

IRINA MIKITENKO representing Germany won the 2008 women's Flora London Marathon title in fine style after she produced a powerful breakaway with two-miles remaining to win in a time of two hours 24 minutes 14 seconds. Mikitenko's powerful burst finally ended the challenge of Russia's Svetlana Zakharova and Ethiopia’s Gete Wami.

Wami, the 2007 Berlin Marathon champion and pre-race favourite having finished runner-up to Britain’s Paula Radcliffe in New York last November suffered a heavy fall at a feed station in Canary Wharf just before 30 kilometres but made a remarkable recovery to claim third place, Mark Woolley reports.

Commonwealth bronze medallist Liz Yelling was first Briton across the line in ninth place, clocking a lifetime best of 2hrs 28mins 31secs to gain the final qualification place for Team GB to compete at this summer’s Olympics in Beijing where she will now line-up alongside Bedford team mate Radcliffe and Japan-based Mara Yamauchi.

With the clock face of Big Ben showing 9.00am the 2012 London Olympics chief Lord Sebastian Coe set the women’s elite race under way under cloudy skies where Hayley Haining, the 36-year-old Scottish international who represented Great Britain in the marathon at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki and Team England at the Melbourne Commonwealth’s where Liz Yelling secured bronze, bravely took on the pace over the early miles.

The inform Yelling (33), with a personal best of 2:30.44 set in the blistering heat last year here in London came into the race in top form having finished leading European at the Edinburgh World Cross Country Championships last month and having smashed her personal best over the half-marathon when beating Haining in Reading.

Fellow Brit Michelle Ross-Cope led through 5km with a split of 17:36 as the leading group began to take shape with the major players Berhere Adhere, Irina Mikitenko and Geta Wami sitting in with the pack.

The powerful figure of Romania’s Constantina Dita, the 2004 Chicago Marathon champion, began to move forward injecting the pace through six miles in 33 minutes as Haining, who works full-time as a veterinary pathologist at Glasgow University, began to drop back trying to conserve energy with the leaders heading for a predicted 2:24 finish, Yelling as this point headed the field.

Mikitenko the Kazakhstan-born athlete representing Germany decided to take up the mantle as the lead group went past the unusual site of the Cutty Sark shrouded by builders cabins and tarpaulins as the restoration project continues after last year’s fire that nearly destroyed the great clipper ship, clocking 34:49 at 10 kilometres.

The pace was really injected through to 15km with a split of 51:50 as Mikitenko pressed forward testing the athletes intentions as Yelling following Haining’s example began to ease off the pace and drifted away from the leading group so as not jeopardise her Beijing chances later in the race as the two Brit’s were separated by a margin of 250 metres.

Over Tower Bridge at 20km Dita and Mikitenko led a breakaway group of nine athletes through in 1:09.09 with Yelling a further 30 seconds adrift but within the Beijing qualifying time.

By 15 miles the more predicted race outcome had began to take shape as the experience and quality of Adhere and Wami moved into contention forming a group of four athletes with Mikitenko and Algeria’s Souad Ait Salem taking them thorough 25km in 1:25.49, Yelling still holding a 30 second lead over Haining.

With no one prepared to take on the pace the group of seven headed by Russian Ludmila Petrova and Mikitenko eased a little through 17 miles as there efforts started to take its toll with a split time of 1:34.03. By this point Haining started to chase down Yelling, as the Bedford athlete was beginning to pay for her early quick pace.

The race was then to take a dramatic twist as Geti Wami slipped and fell at the feed station outside Canary Wharf injuring her hip after colliding with Ait Salem that left the duo back in 7th and 8th places respectively nine seconds adrift of the leader Petrova at 30km (1:43.23).

The battle of the Brit’s continued with Haining closing the gap between her and Yelling to just 16 seconds.

Long time leader Mikitenko continued to press the pace as the lead group came down to just six athletes at 21 miles where previous champion Adhere moved forward in ominous fashion having bided her time and Wami, winner of the inaugural World Marathon Majors $1 million Dollar prize, having recovered from her fall she powered her way back to share the lead at 22 miles clocking 2:00.26 at 35km heading onto the Embankment.

With Mikitenko applying the pace the group came down to just three as they pasted the London Eye with Wami now struggling with a hip injury sustained in the fall and Zakharova begining to drop off the pace a big gap was created between them and the German. A revived Yelling rallied in 11th place and began to recover keeping a 20 second gap ahead of Haining.

World 10,000m finalist in Osaka and second in Berlin last September, Miktenko, competing in only her third marathon at the 24 mile point despite the driving rain looked strong as the 35-year-old made a brave, determined and ultimately successful attempt to break away and push for victory sprinting ahead of Zakharova and Wami transforming her track experience over 10 and 5,000m to take a surprise and well-deserved first major international victory crossing the line in the Mall despite the torrential rain in a time of 2hrs 24mins 14secs. Russia’s Zakharova was second in 2:24:39 with Wami third (2:25:37).

"I knew from 30 kilometres I could win and whatever happened I could deal with it," said a delighted Mikitenko.

Liz Yelling moved through to 9th place to smash her personal best with a time of 2:28.33 after a hard run race, the first time she has broken the 2:30 barrier to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Haining also ran a superb race to break her personal best also under 2:30 (2:29.18) in 12th position.

Yelling commented afterwards: "I'm delighted to break the two-and-a-half hour barrier, I'm not sure I ran the best tactical race but I decided to just race and see how much I had.

"There was a lot of pressure, and it was just a case of trying to keep it in perspective and not let it get to me."

British Masters international Nicki Nealon on her marathon debut finished in 82nd place with a time of 3:04.26 representing Huncote Harriers followed by Janine Roper of Barrow Runners, 115th in 3:09.18.

Jennifer Teunissen of Shepshed Running Club was the highest placed Leicestershire athlete in the mass race finishing in 82nd place with a time of 3:14:05 - Loughborough University student Harriet Hart from Epsom clocked 3:22.15 in 217th position.

Switzerland's Sandra Graf set a new course record to win the Women's Wheelchair race. Graf's time of 1:48.05 saw her finish well clear of the field. American athlete Amanda McGregory was nearly four minutes back in second place as the rainy conditions made life difficult. Britain's Shelly Woods, the defending champion, came home in third place.
Leading Results:
Women
1 Irina Mikitenko (Germany) 2:24.14; 2 Svetlana Zakharova (Russia) 2:24:39; 3 Gete Wami (Ethiopia) 2:25:37; 4 Salina Kosgei (Kenya) 2:26:30; 5 Ludmila Petrova (Russia) 2:26:45; 6 Souad Ait Salem (Algeria) 2:27:41; 7 Berhane Adere (Ethiopia) 2:27:42; 8 Constantina Dita (Romania) 2:27:45; 9 Liz Yelling (Great Britain) 2:28:33; 10 Adriana Pirtea (Romania) 2:28:52

www.worldmarathonmajors.com/

The 2009 Flora London Marathon takes place on Sunday 26th April - on line entry is now available on the official web-site at: www.london-marathon.co.uk

Sunday 13th April 2008

THE Leicestershire & Rutland club and Loughborough University students individual results for the 2008 Flora London Marathon are listed below.

The results are taken from the official finishing times for the event from the ChampionChip timing system and are subject to change.
Leicestershire & Rutland Club and LSAC Individual Results:
Ashby Ivanhoe
797 RAMSELL, CHRIS D (GBR)-M40 -2:56:41-9781 MANN, DAVE K (GBR)-M50- -4:00:17-10121 WEBSTER, ALAN (GBR)-M55- -4:02:02-10149 ANDREWS, STUART N (GBR)-M40- -4:02:11-2907 MCPHERSON, TRISH (GBR)-W50- -4:15:06-3554 DEWIS, KAREN L (GBR)-W40- -4:22:55-6734 RAMSELL, JUDY A (GBR)-W40- -4:58:15-9244 STURLA, ALISON M (GBR)-W30-5:48:21
Barrow Runners
716- TOLL, ALEX J (GBR)-M40--2:55:21-1004- YENDALL, KEITH A (GBR)-M30--2:59:05-1303- DATTANI, DILIP (GBR)-M45--3:03:14-1537- AINSCOW, EDWARD K (GBR)-M35--3:06:45-2700-115-ROPER, JANINE R (GBR)-W30--3:09:18-2708-APPERLEY, IAN J (GBR)-M40--3:18:23-3055- SPENCER, ADRIAN (GBR)-M35--3:21:49-3834- HARRISON, GARY P (GBR)-M40--3:27:39-3924- HILLIER, NIGEL G (GBR)-M50--3:28:07-420- RAAIJMAKERS, MONIQUE M (GBR)-W40--3:29:43-4704- BUXTON, THOMAS Y (GBR)-M55--3:33:17-525- HILLIER, ANN B (GBR)-W45--3:33:19-622- BOSCH, SARAH J (GBR)-W40--3:36:16-685- ROBINSON, JOANNE (GBR)-W30--3:37:53-5754- ZURAWLIN, PAUL A (GBR)-M50--3:40:40-1289- SEDDON, ANNA J (GBR)-W35--3:52:05-9585- JONES, TERENCE (GBR)-M60--3:59:28-2494- EASTWOOD, KATHRYN J (GBR)-W40--4:09:12-3217- JAMES, HELEN (GBR)-W35--4:19:00-4436- BLOSSOM, ALEXANDRA A (GBR)-W25--4:32:46-22544- HARDING, NORMAN W (GBR)-M55--5:50:16-10285-» STANBRIDGE, AMANDA J (GBR)-W35--6:45:30
Beaumont Running Club
74- CHRITCHLOW, PHILIP (GBR)-M40-2:32:30-3501- WHITFIELD, MARK (GBR)-M30-3:25:23-5946- MADARBUX, RAHIM (GBR)-M25-3:41:46-7164- HICKENBOTHAM, PETER T (GBR)-M45-3:48:40-8012- RITCHIE, MARK (GBR)-M50-3:53:00-11480- LAAD, HITEN P (GBR)-M25-4:09:49
Birstall Running Club
379- RENNIE, FELICITY C (GBR)-W30--3:28:25-5284- BLACK, IAN P (GBR)-M45--3:37:34-1204- MCGREEVY, ADELE M (GBR)-W40--3:50:28-1798- JANSEN, MARGARET (GBR)-W50--3:58:47-7442- VOISEY, LORRAINE B (GBR)-W45--5:09:17
Charnwood AC
5940- MARTINEZ, CARLOS (GBR)-M30-3:41:45
Desford Striders Running Club
7872--- RUTT, CARL (GBR)-M35--3:52:21-11369--- COULSON, CLIVE W (GBR)-M55--4:09:14-22293--- GREENLEES, JOHN F (GBR)-M60--5:44:07
Fleckney & Kibworth Running Club
1054- BEACH, CLAIRE J (GBR)-W35-3:47:26-1730- MCDONAGH, TINA A (GBR)-W35-3:58:06-13559- LEWIS, GRAHAM F (GBR)-M55-4:20:59-15215- GREEN, JEREMY A (GBR)-M35-4:29:53-5899- PRIOR, ELAINE E (GBR)-W40-4:48:26-5975- BUTWELL, LUCINDA H (GBR)-W25-4:49:06-6276- WARD, JODY (GBR)-W25-4:52:37 20054-BAILEY, ANDREW L (GBR) M50 5:06:07
Harborough AC
1993- BARBER, KYLE (GBR)-M20--3:11:45-6500 BEASLEY, CHRISTOPHER A (GBR)-M50--3:44:56-3157 WILSON, BEVERLEY A (GBR)-W35--4:18:24
Hermitage Harriers
265- GREGORY, PAUL F (GBR)-M35--2:43:46-3252- KIND, DAVID J (GBR)-M35--3:23:25
Hinckley Running Club
150- JORDAN, CHRISTOPHER R (GBR)-M25-2:37:56-272- WHITELEGG, RICHARD (GBR)-M35-2:44:02- 2065-EARLEY, SIMON (GBR)-M40-3:12:29- WHALLEY, ADRIAN H (GBR)-M45-3:26:31- BEDDER, STEPHEN R (GBR)-M55-3:31:45-713 REMINGTON, JOANNE (GBR)-W35-3:38:39-2134- WREN, JESSICA L (GBR)-W25-4:03:47-2167- WREN, ALY K (GBR)-W50-4:04:20-11081- TOMKINS, PAUL J (GBR)-M50-4:07:41-11397- GREASLEY, JOHN D (GBR)-M40-4:09:22
Huncote Harriers
229- SOMMER, CARL A (GBR)-M25--2:42:21-784- BALL, ANDREW (GBR)-M40--2:56:30-82-NEALON, NICKI J (GBR) W40-3:04:26-4116- NEWTON, DARREN A (GBR)-M45--3:29:17-4958- BOWLES, NEIL A (GBR)-M40--3:35:18-7459- WILFORD, ANDREW R (GBR)-M45--3:50:14-9125- CORR, THOMAS P (GBR)-M35--3:57:48-9126- NEALON, PAUL J (GBR)-M40--3:57:48-2101- GARDNER, SUSAN (GBR)-W45--4:03:13-2800- WILFORD, MARIE J (GBR)-W35--4:13:40
Leicester Coritanians
569- SAUNDERS, DAVID A (GBR)-M40 -2:52:18-14493- BRADSHAW, ERIC G (GBR)-M45-4:26:06
Leicester TRI
730- KING, MARK S (GBR)-M35-2:55:38-1730- MALLOY, DUNCAN (GBR)-M40-3:08:59-8031- SHERWOOD, CHRISTOPHER A (GBR)-M40-3:53:04
Leicester Owls
125- DORAN, TIM (GBR)-M25-2:36:39-468- BRIDGES, ANTHONY M (GBR)-M30-2:49:49-1001- HOOD, PAUL (GBR)-M30-2:59:04-1453- STIFF, MICHAEL J (GBR)-M45-3:05:40-3672- PRIESTLEY, CAROLE I (GBR)-W55-4:24:16-4427- CURTIS, SUSAN D (GBR)-W45-4:32:43-6377- ROGERS, KAREN A (GBR)-W45-4:53:57-9983- HUMPHREYS, LINDA F (GBR)-W45-6:19:45
Loughborough University Students
225- HART, HARRIET B (GBR)-W20--3:22:15-22589- BROOKES, STUART A (GBR)-M20--5:51:31
Roadhoggs Leicester AC
2858- MILSTEAD, ROBERT G (GBR)-M50--3:19:54-6873-BARRATT, CLINTON D (GBR)-M45--3:47:04-9745- CHAMBERLAIN, MARK J (GBR)-M40--4:00:05
Rutland Runners
1574- HARDWICK, MARY D (GBR)-W45--3:56:02-2663- GREEN, JUDITH M (GBR)-W50--4:11:32
Shepshed Running Club
1278- BENSKIN, IAN D (GBR)-M30--3:02:51-89- TEUNISSEN, JENNIFERS C (GBR)-W30--3:14:05-653- CLARKE, CORINNE I (GBR)-W50--3:36:59-10280- SKETCHLEY, NORMAN P (GBR)-M55--4:02:52-3436- CLARGO, ANDREA M (GBR)-W35--4:21:41
Stilton Striders
94- SOUTHAM, CHRISTOPHER (GBR)-M40--2:34:48-971- AINSCOUGH, KIRSTY A (GBR)-W25--3:45:28-8921- SIMPSON, DARRYL F (GBR)-M55--3:57:01-10118- HACKETT, WAYNE I (GBR)-M30--4:02:01-2470- ACKERS, LAURA J (GBR)-W25--4:08:56-5336- WILDMAN, ELIZABETH (GBR)-W45--4:42:07-17119- KING, MATHEW (GBR)-M35--4:42:08
West End Runners
9454- ASHRAF, MUHAMMAD (GBR)-M40-3:59:02-5319- BERRY, CAROLINE M (GBR)-W25-4:41:56-20182- SADLER, DAVID (GBR)-M45-5:07:40
Whetstone Harriers
1843- FENTON, GRAHAM D (GBR)-M40-3:10:12-7651- ALCOCK, JOHN (GBR)-M55-3:51:14-18393- MOYNIHAN, BENJAMIN R (GBR)-M30-4:50:46-19523- BULL, MARTIN J (GBR)-M40-4:59:56
Wreake Runners
423- HOLLIS, ASHLEY S (GBR)-M40--2:48:34-770- BETTSWORTH, RICHARD G (GBR)-M40--2:56:14-1511- BUSH, MARK A (GBR)-M35--3:06:20-2500- TYRRELL, NIGEL P (GBR)-M45--3:16:19-2588- NOBLE, MATTHEW D (GBR)-M40--3:17:16-8920- THEOBOLD, NIGEL G (GBR)-M40--3:57:01-13328- WILDE, ANDREW J (GBR)-M35--4:19:54-13462- GRAY, DUNCAN J (GBR)-M30--4:20:33-5667- WEALE, MARSHA R (GBR)-W35--4:45:49

Sunday 6th April 2008

NICK McCORMICK and Jo Pavey headed the British challenge at the BUPA Great Ireland Run in Dublin.

Loughborough-based McCormick recorded a time of 29mins 18secs as the 26-year-old Morpeth Harrier finished in fourth place behind Qatar’s Abraham Chebii who successfully defended his Men's title by holding off former Kenyan team-mate Abdullah Ahmad Hassan by three seconds to cross the line in a time of time of 28:48.

“He made me fight all of the way before I put in a sprint in the last 300 metres,” said Chebii of his rival, formerly known as Albert Chepkurui but who has represented Qatar for the last five years.

The pair of Africans fought their own battle, although seven-times European Cross-Country champion Sergiy Lebid put up a strong performance when finishing just eight seconds behind Hassan.

Leicester's Moumin Geele, training partner of Britain's former European cross-country champion Mo Farah - now based in London at the UK Athletics High Performance Centre in Twickenham, finished in 8th place in 30:24.

Doris Changeywo's victory in the Women's event by seven seconds was fully merited after winning in a time of 32:15. Jo Pavey was second taking plenty of confidence from her own outing over 10 kilometres in Phoenix Park, where in strong winds she was more than happy at recording a time of 32:22.

The pair, along with Australia’s former IAAF World Cross-Country champion Benita Johnson and Aniko Kalovics, was always expected to be the main contenders.

Johnson, however, was never in the hunt for a win and faded to seventh position, a place ahead of her fellow Australian and defending champion Victoria Mitchell.

Kalovics, just three weeks after placing third in the Rome Marathon, lasted a little longer before falling off the pace, although she still produced a good time of 32mins 45secs for third in the unhelpful conditions.

The 23-year-old Kenyan, displaying the strength that earned her fourth place at last weekend's World Cross-Country Championships, gradually ground down her major rivals until with three kilometres remaining the duel was between herself and Pavey.

Pavey, running only her second race for over six months, managed to maintain her momentum and a place alongside the Kenyan until Changeywo released a searing turn of speed on the course's biggest hill with just under two kilometres to run.

"Doris was obviously in good shape given her position at the World Cross Country and it showed when she just pulled away from me on the steepest part of the course," said Pavey.

"I've never been a great hill-runner but once we got back on to the flat, I felt I was making ground upon her.

"I was concentrating on catching her but really given her strength, there was no way it was going to happen.

"But it's nice to be back racing at this level and the result shows I'm traveling in the right direction going into the summer season."

Pavey, who is returning to her altitude training base in South Africa on Tuesday, added: 'I'll be staying in Dullstroom for three weeks or even a month, before returning for another 10km road race.

"These type of events suit me and of course it is the same distance as I will race over in Beijing. I'm feeling good and am very happy with how I performed."

2008 Nike Midlands AAA 12 & 6 Stage Relays Championships

Sutton Park, Birmingham

Saturday 5th April 2008

JANE and Juliet Potter powered the reigning National champions Charnwood AC to a successful defence of their title at the 2008 Nike Midland AAA Six-Stage Relays Championships held at Birmingham’s Sutton Park.

The Loughborough-based team - underlining their position as Leicestershire’s most successful road-running club in the sports history - competing in Birmingham with a squad containing a mixture of youth and experience finished ahead of Bristol & West and Coventry Godiva Harriers in a combined time of 1hr 45mins 12secs.

With two of their main senior team unavailable for selection - Midlands cross-country champion Hannah Whitmore, away warm-weather training in Portugal with Phil Banning’s squad and Tara Krzywicki - currently recovering from foot surgery, promising 17-year-old Amber-Sian Magee, the reigning Leicestershire junior cross-country champion - part of the successful team that won the East Midlands Road Running Relays title at the Livingston Relays in Loughborough on Easter Sunday, set Charnwood on their way in Birmingham with an opening stage time of 18mins 45secs.

On Stage 2, Laura Johnson, also stepping up to the ‘A’ team clocked 20:06 as the defending champions lay in 15th place at the beginning of the third stage where England international and the reigning British Universities 10,000m track champion, Loughborough graduate Sarah Maude, ran a superb time of 16:43 (fourth fastest overall) to move Charnwood up into 6th place to begin a strong challenge for the medals as Bristol led the way at the start of Stage 4.

Top junior talent Clare Mensley, having celebrated her 20th Birthday on the Monday leading up to the event, clocked a time of 17:26, ninth fastest overall for the Birmingham University student, moving Charnwood into bronze medal contention lying in third place at the end of Stage 4.

With the inform Juliet Potter, fresh from her Easter Monday victory at the Notts 10km at Wollaton Park taking over the mantle the 26-year-old British international ran a brilliant fifth stage of 16:18 powering Charnwood into the lead as twin sister Jane lined-up for the final anchor leg.

Jane as with sister Juliet is also in fine form and that was clearly underlined by her final stage time of 15:54, the fastest overall of the day and the only athlete to clock under 16 minutes to guide home Charnwood to a fine victory in a combined time of 1:45.12, an amazing performance coming back from 15th place to take the championship title by a winning margin of just over three-minutes ahead of Bristol.

The West Country club despite missing their talismanic leader, British international Kate Reed preparing for the BUPA Great Ireland Run, claimed the silver medals ahead of Coventry.

Harborough AC were the only other women's Leicestershire club in action at Sutton Park, led by Sarah Haines, having recently clocked a lifetime-best time to finish as the top British female in the recent 10th edition of the Hervis Prague Half Marathon, with their fastest stage of 17:35 on the opening leg, combined with Katy Kenyon (21:41), Traci Edwards (23:36), Lin Farrow (24:47), Karen Brooks (21:11) and Lianne Brooks (23:14) to finish in 26th place in a time of 2:12.04.

In the Men’s Twelve-Stage race Notts AC also triumphed ahead of Bristol and the Birmingham-based club Tipton Harriers to defend their title.

The Notts team of Kevin Farrow (27:22), Ashley Sabin (15:03), Darren Fowlie (15:11), Martin Whitehouse (27:07), Silverstone Half Marathon champion Tim Hartley (14:51), Tom Bailey (15:15), Ian Boneham (26:16), Richard Kay (14:58), Bill Speake (15:25), Nick Talbot (27:29), Jonathan Thewlis (14:37) and with the fastest overall short leg, Bruce Raeside (14:23), crossed the line in a combined time of 3hrs 47mins 57secs to win by a margin of just over four-minutes clear of Bristol (3:52.24) as Tipton claimed the bronze medals with 3:53.39.

Birchfield’s Kenyan international Zak Kihara, winner of the 2007 and 2006 Baxters Loch Ness Marathon, recorded the fastest long-leg stage in 25:52.

In the absence of Leeds Metropolitan student and British Under-23 international Rory Fraser, away preparing to represent Team GB at the World University Cross Country Championships taking place in Mauquenchy, France the following day, and Paul Miles and Paul Richardson altitude training in Morocco, leading junior Edward Highton moved up to the senior squad to anchor home the Leicester Owls to sixth place in a combined time of 4:03.00.

Birmingham & District League champion Mark Powell set the Wigston-based club, winners of the Men’s title for the fifth time at the Livingston Relays, on their way with the fifth fastest overall long-leg time in 26:47 combined with Chris O’Neill (16:00), Jason Williams (16:10), James Boxell (27:31), Steve Platts (15:42), Rob Pullen (16:59), Gordon Lee (28:19), Tom Meakin (16:02, Neil Carter (16:55), Nick Mapp (29:21) and James Franklin (16:36).

Peter Swaine (28:59), third British male finisher at the Prague Half Marathon, set the Harborough ‘A’ team on their way to a 27th place finish as the squad of Dave Waddington (18:00), Tom Duck (17:23), Jason Pitcher (33:22), Matt Green (18:10), Steve Costall (17:39), Sean Fenwick (29:50), Kyle Barber (19:03), Scott Speller (18:45), Martin Gore (32:48), Ian Chick (20:01) and Chris Webb (18:42) crossed the line in 4:32.42.

Report by Mark Woolley.

Above photo – Charnwood AC – 2008 Women’s Midlands Senior Six-Stage Champions
L-R: Amber-Sian Magee, Laura Johnson, Sarah Maude, Clare Mensley, Juliet and Jane Potter.

Full results are available on the following links:

Men 12 Stage

www.race-results.co.uk/results/2008/m1208.htm

Women 6 Stage

www.race-results.co.uk/results/2008/mw608.htm

Belvoir Half Marathon 2008

Hose, Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire

Sunday 30th March 2008

STILTON STRIDER Chris Southam produced an impressive performance to take victory at the pre-London Marathon build-up race Belvoir Half Marathon.

In the event that gave many competitors their last chance of race competition before the capital’s big day in two weeks time on Sunday 13th April - plus with the rain swept conditions of the previous day disappeared over the flat fast course, Southam, the 43-year-old former Leicestershire Half-Marathon champion, a fifth place finisher at recent ALDI Ashby 20 mile road race at the beginning of March, completed a fine individual victory by a winning margin of 42 seconds crossing the line ahead of the chasing field led by Derby triatlete Chris Nicoll in a time of 1hr 13mins 38secs.

Leigh Stubbs of Redhill finished third in 1:15.00 with the Leicestershire duo of the Owls Mark Bridges and the Silverstone Half Marathon champion Tim Hartley representing Barrow Runners taking fourth and fifth places with times of 1:17.13 and 1:17.24 respectively.

In the Women’s race with Stilton’s marathon specialist Nicola Clay choosing not to defend her title victory went to the talented 19-year-old Abbey Norman of Burton AC in a time of 1:21.18 - completing a comfortable solo victory for the teenager to follow her third place finish behind race winner Beth Eburne at the Fradley 10km early this month.

Maree Jesson of Northampton Road Runners was second in 1:28.02 with Beaumont’s Wendy Joy taking third in 1:30.53.

Full results are available on the following link: www.sportsystems.net/RaceResults.aspx#Belvoir

Thursday 27th March 2008

BRITISH Masters international Nicki Nealon collected her second World Masters title of her long career by winning the Half-Marathon event for the F40 category at the 3rd World Masters Indoor Championships held in Clermont Ferrand, France.

Huncote Harrier Nealon, who celebrated her fortieth Birthday last month, crossed the line in a time of 1hr 19mins 8secs to comfortably beat her nearest rival, Spain's Soledad Castro, who finished in 1:21.35. Castro's compatriot Nuria Sierra was third in 1:24.09.

Back in 2005 Nealon won the World Masters F35 title over 10,000 metres on the track in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nealon also competed in two other events earlier in the week, she was fourth in the 8km cross-country in 30:02, just 47 seconds behind Belgian winner Nathalie Loubele, and finished sixth in the 3,000m indoors in 10:15.48 in a race won by Italy's Samia Soltane in 9:53.38.

Full results of the 2008 World Masters Indoor Championships are available on the following link: www.athle.com/clermont2008/results.aspx?Num=024696

2008 Livingston Relays (Incorp. East Midlands Road Relays Championships)

Loughborough University Campus

Sunday 23rd March 2008

MARK POWELL led the Leicester Owls to a successful defence of their Livingston Relays title at Loughborough University to win the event for the fifth time since the race returned to the domestic calendar back in 2003 and for the first time this year collect the East Midlands Road Relays Championship award incorporated into the race,
Mark Woolley reports.

With the over night wintry condition melted away by the start time, the Livingston Relays, Leicestershire’s oldest road race that dates back to 1928 provided the regions teams with the welcome opportunity to get some well needed practise and finalise squads ahead of the territorial road relays championships that take place on Saturday 5th April at Birmingham’s Sutton Park.

On the opening leg Barrow’s Tim Hartley, fresh from his superb victory at the Silverstone Half Marathon, set the fastest individual leg of 14mins 46secs over the 3 mile course on the surrounding roads of the biggest university campus in Europe to give Barrow an early advantage with the new Leicestershire Road Running League champion Gordon Lee keeping the Owls in touch back in fourth place (15:10).

However, with Tom Meakin taking up the mantle the Owls began to assert their authority as the 23-year-old moved into second place crossing the line in 16:09 to hand over to Jay Williams with Heanor’s Chris Rainsford holding a slender lead for the Derbyshire team from Heanor.

Williams, having really begun to show his potential over the winter season with a fine victory at the Derby Runner Cross Country League race at Sharnford back in November and with his third stage time of 16:18 maintained the Owls second place behind long time leaders Heanor, however, this was to change on the final leg as the inform Mark Powell was to prove the Owls Ace card.

Powell has been in terrific form of late, successfully defending his individual title at the high profile Birmingham & District Cross Country League and fresh from a victory at the Desford 10km the previous weekend the 29-year-old powered the Owls to victory comfortable making up the deficit - racing to within one second of Hartley’s opening stage time clocking 14:47 to anchor the Owls home to victory by a huge winning margin of one-minute 20 seconds in a combined time of 62mins 24secs as Heanor led by Darren Ridout finished second in 63:04 with Barrow securing third in 65:22.

In the Men’s Vets race the Leicester Coritanian team of British Masters international Rob Sheen (15:49) combined with Andy Hart (16:58), Phil Makepeace (15:27) and Craig Sabin (17:25) easily retained their title finishing in a time of 65:39 ahead of Harborough AC (70:41) and their Coritanian ‘B’ team (71:04).

With the addition of East Midlands Championship status, combined with an extensive prize list on offer this year with the leading Senior and Veteran teams won places at the ING Amsterdam 7.5k road race on Sunday 19th October, complete with three nights accommodation in the Dutch capital. Plus the winning junior teams and fastest male and female juniors gained places in the high profile BUPA Great Manchester Run on Sunday 18th May complete with accommodation in the elite athletes hotel.

In the Women’s race Charnwood AC’s youthful team won the title in style finishing comfortably ahead of Heanor as the university student duo of Katie Lomas (Loughborough) and Clare Mensley (Birmingham) combined with Amber-Sian Magee on the anchor leg came home in a combined time of 54mins 07secs.

The experienced Lisa Palmer guided Heanor to the runners-up position in 55:48 ahead of third placed Barrow, Catherine Draper setting their fastest leg with 19:23. Harborough’s Sarah Haines clocked 17:34 on the opening stage to record the fastest individual time of day.

There was a low turnout of teams in the Under-20 races where Charnwood AC completed a double victory as Ben Lacey with an anchor leg time of 16:39 led the host club to victory in 69:03, finishing clear of the Leicester Coritanian squad with Wreake taking third, whilst, in the Women’s race Charnwood (58:27) were the only team competing as Johanna Gurney, Briony Bendle and Zoe Hawkins completed their win.
Full Results:
Senior Men (4x3 Miles)
1 Leics Owls ‘A’ 62:24 (Gordon Lee-15-10-4, Thomas Meakin-16-09-2, Jay Williams-16-18-2, Mark Powell-14-47-1); 2 Heanor ‘A’ 63:04 (Ben Radbourne-15-26-5, Chris Rainsford-15-45-1, Phil Mitchell-15-45-1, Darren Ridout-16-08-2); 3 Barrow ‘A’ 65:22 (Tim Hartley-14-46-1, Ian Paramore-17-07-4, Jake Harrison-17-05-4, Dave Battersby-16-24-3); 4 Charnwood 66:29 (Ayoze Perez-15-04-2, Nigel Scoggins-16-35-3, Alastair Parkin-16-40-3, Richard Brown-18-10-4); 5 Mansfield 67:45 (Stuart King-15-44-6, Mike Mumford-17-57-6, James Mee-15-34-5, Mark Jenkins-18-30-5); 6 Beaumont ‘A’ 69:33 (Ian Murdey-16-44-8, Andy Jones-18-15-9, Rahim Madarbux-18-40-11 Phil Chritchlow-15-54-6); 7 Heanor ‘B’ 69:45 (Luke James-17-23-11, Stephen Ashmore-16-54-7, Jon Wainwright-17-57-7, Alastair Hobday-17-31-7); 8 Leics Owls ‘B’ 69:50 (Chris Manning-18-35-16, Simon Cotton-17-23-11, Neil Carter-16-57-9, Jonathan Burch-16-55-8); 9 Leics Cort ‘A’ 70:31 (Ashley Sabin-15-09-3, Luke Berridge-19-18-8, Chris Bugh-17-50-8, Michael Haines-18-14-9); 10 Harborough ‘A’ 70:36 (Peter Swaine-16-07-7, Andrew Robinson-16-36-5, Adam Brooks-19-05-6, Scott Speller-18-48-10); 11 Stilton 71:08 (Darren Glover-17-28-12, John Creswell-18-31-12, Christian Davidson-17-27-10, Martin Booth-17-42-11); 12 Shepshed ‘A’ 75:37 (Ian Benskins-16-58-9, Gareth Pymm-20-25-13, John Hartley-19-02-13, Jake Smith-19-12-12); 13 Heanor ‘C’ 76:19 (Joe Rainsford-17-16-10, Pete Ivens-17-59-10, Dave Probert-20-31-12, Nigel Scollin-20-33-13); 14 Barrow ‘B’ 77:04 (Russell Lewin-18-19-15, Dave Ballard-19-14-14, Nick Rees-20-42-15, John Rees-18-49-14); 15 Roadhoggs 77:09 (Nick Cobley-18-37-17, John McDonald-19-07-15, Simon Fryer-19-27-14, Dale Jenkins-19-58-15); 16 Desford ‘A’ 79:32 (Richard McBean-19-39-20, Tom Bassnett-20-49-21, Graham Hobbs-19-13-16, Paul Goddard-19-51-16); 17 Shepshed ‘B’ 80:05 (Phill Higgs-19-59-21, Pete Brooks-20-03-20, Asa English-22-11-20, Graeme Hebden-17-52-17); 18 Beaumont ‘B’ 81:30 (Steve Sayers-20-19-22, Mark Whitfield-19-37-19, Daniel Smith-21-47-19, Andy Machin-19-47-18); 19 Wreake 82:13 (Mark Bush-17-51-14, Tom Ketteringham-23-22-22, Kevan Naylor-21-08-21, John Skevington-19-52-19); 20 Birstall 82:24 (Marvin Smith-19-09-18, Sam Harrison-19-44-17, Deryk Woods-23-56-22, Gary Harrison-19-35-20); 21 Harborough ‘B’ 82:42 (Tom Sexton-19-15-19, Andy King-20-14-18, Alan Fordham-20-27-17, Chris Loake-22-46-21); 22 Barrow ‘C’ 83:37 (Ian Apperley-17-42-13, Ross MacGregor-20-42-16, John Hudson-23-06-18, Terry Jones-22-07-22); 23 Desford ‘B’ 97:29 (Richard Greenlees-20-55-23, Dave Playford-21-24-23, Steve Bailey-24-38-23, John Greenlees-30-32-23)
Fastest Leg:
1 Tim Hartley (Barr) 14-46
Vets (4x3 Miles)
1 Leics Cort ‘A’ 65:39 (Rob Sheen-15-49-1, Andy Hart-16-58-1, Phil Makepeace-15-27-1, Craig Sabin-17-25-1); 2 Harborough ‘A’ 70:41 (Will Clapp-16-54-2, Dave Waddington-17-49-3, Martin Gore-17-27-2, Steve Costall-18-31-2); 3 Leics Cort ‘B’ 71:04 (John Grindey-17-18-4, Joe Masterson-17-44-4, Robin Brookes-17-44-3, Phil Hands-18-18-3); 4 Wreake 71:56 (Richard Bettsworth-16-58-3, Ashley Hollis-17-38-2, Andy Steel-19-19-5, Bruno Nikoloff-18-01-4); 5 Mansfield 72:11 (Stephen Davies-19-30-8, Doug Ross-17-22-6, Gareth Deacon-16-15-4, Peter Stafford-19-04-5); 6 Roadhoggs 74:01 (Matt Topham-18-10-6, Mark Chamberlain-17-46-5, Rob Milstead-19-41-6, Peter Slonesczny-18-24-6); 7 Leics Owls ‘A’ 75:48 (Des Martin-18-03-5, John Mason-19-38-8, Les Chesterton-19-34-8, Rob Gregory-18-33-7); 8 Shepshed 79:19 (Brian Barnett-21-01-12, Mark Stock-18-00-9, John Noble-18-45-9, Bob Haskins-21-33-8); 9 Harborough ‘B’ 79:38 (Richard Bufton-18-45-7, Chris Webb-18-42-7, Shane Edge-19-30-7, Derek Richardson-22-41-9); 10 Barrow ‘A’ 80:42 (Nigel Hillier-20-20-11, Paul Zurawliw-19-16-11, Malcolm Harris-20-51-11, Mike Sheldon-20-15-10); 11 Leics Owls ‘B’ 82:18 (Clive Jones-19-48-9, Ray Draycott-21-16-12, Ian Fraser-21-20-12, Nigel Ayres-19-54-11); 12 Harborough ‘C’ 83:03 (Graeme Rolfe-20-04-10, Rick Brown-19-28-10, Mark Garrod-20-34-10, Peter Leach-22-57-12); 13 Heanor 86:31 (Chris Mellors-21-06-13, Rob Rainsford-21-33-13, Russ Wilkinson-21-21-13, Chris Mountford-22-31-13)
Fastest Leg:
1 Rob Sheen (Leics Cor) 15-49
Women (3x3 Miles)
1 Charnwood 54:07 (Katie Lomas-17-36-2, Amber Sian Magee-18-51-1, Clare Mensley-17-40-1); 2 Heanor ‘A’ 55:48 (Liz Radbourne-18-05-3, Glenda Alton-19-53-2, Lisa Palmer-17-50-2); 3 Barrow ‘A’ 60:11(Cat Draper-19-23-4, Joanne Robinson-21-02-4, Monique Raaijmakers-19-46-3); 4 Barrow ‘B’ 62:58 (Ann Hillier-20-46-8, Anna Seddon-21-35-7, Kirsty Hillier-20-37-4); 5 Harborough ‘A’ 63:27(Sarah Haines-17-34-1, Jessica Edge-22-40-3, Lianne Brooks-23-13-5); 6 Leics Owls ‘A’ 63:37 (Sam Winters-20-10-6, Jane Fraser-21-10-5, Sadie Murphy-22-17-6); 7 Heanor ‘B’ 63:41 (Judith Gration-20-28-7, Sam Liddle-23-03-8, Yvonne Crawley-20-10-7); 8 Birstall ‘A’ 66:12 (Kat Kemp-21-29-10, Marie Squires-23-52-11, Susie Woolmer-20-51-8); 9 Harborough ‘B’ 66:44 (Katy Kenyon-21-54-11, Ruth Bingham-22-40-10, Nicky James-22-10-9); 10 Leics Owls ‘B’ 70:39 (Tania Brandon-22-59-12, Julie Usher-23-05-12, Carole Priestley-24-35-10); 11 Desford 71:37 (Jane Davies-20-08-5, Marie Playford-21-58-6, Valda Holmes-29-31-11); 12 Harborough ‘D’ 72:04 (Jo Johnson-25-05-16-Karen Brooks-21-03-13, Linda Lawton-25-56-1); 13 Barrow ‘C’ 72:43 (Jennie Harrison-23-38-13, Sue Zurawliw-24-43-14, Lisa Rees-24-22-13); 14 Stilton 73:43 (Katherine Voyce-25-31-18, Lucy Underwood-24-47-6, Imogen Brooks-23-25-14); 15 Roadhoggs 74:45 (Suritha Sharma-21-05-9, Trudy Sharpe-23-07-9, Mandy Slonesczny-30-33-15); 16 Birstall ‘B’ 75:35 (Marisa Woolmer-25-27-17, Jane Coltman-24-37-17, Lorraine Jex-25-31-16); 17 Barrow ‘D’ 75:57 (Janet Hudson-25-02-15; Alex Blossom-23-47-16, Kath Eastwood-27-08-17); 18 Harborough ‘C’ 77:10 (Lin Farrow-24-25-14, Zoe Garrod-24-16-15, Yvonne Barber-28-29-18); 19 Birstall ‘C’ 78:52 (Angie Budge-25-43-19, Alyson Pyrah-27-46-19, Chris Cobley-25-23-19)
Fastest Leg:
1 Sarah Haines (Harborough) 17-34
Under 20 Men (4x3 Miles)
1 Charnwood 69:03 (Andrew Lomas-17-22-2, James Paramore-17-59-1, Michael Brind-17-03-1, Ben Lacey-16-39-1); 2 Leics Cort 73:05 (Liam Phelan-17-15-1, Elliott Hart-18-52-2, Danny Calow-18-48-2, Michael Godrich-18-10-2); 3 Wreake 78:21 (Rowan Hargreaves-19-18-3, Josh Slingsby-19-20-3, David Freeman-19-02-3, Greg Webb-20-41-3)
Fastest Leg:
1 Ben Lacey (Charn) 16-39
Under-20 Women (3x3 Miles)
1 Charnwood 58:27 (Johanna Gurney-18-46-0, Briony Bendle-20-10-0, Zoe Hawkins-19-31-1)
Fastest Leg:
1 Johanna Gurney (Charn) 18-46

Special thanks to Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy for their sponsorship of the LRRL this season. The Summer LRRL campaign begins at the Hinckley Dog & Hedgehog Half Marathon (inc. Leicestershire County AA Championships) on Sunday 11th May 2008. Entry forms are available on the following link: www.hinckleyrunningclub.com

Maidenhead Easter 10

(Incorp. Berkshire AA Championships)

Maidenhead, Berkshire

Friday 21st March 2008

TIM DORAN representing the Leicester Owls produced a fine performance to set a lifetime best over the 10-mile distance at the Maidenhead Easter race held on Good Friday that incorporated the Berkshire county championships, an event now in it’s 55th year, that is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom.

Doran, the 28-year-old London-based athlete having returned to racing the previous weekend at the Desford 10km, this following a six-week injury break, crossed the line in a time of 55mins 55secs to finish in sixth place behind race winner Elliot Robinson of Aldershot, Farnham and District (51:52), breaking his previous best of 55:59 set in April last year in Woking.

Reading’s British Masters international Sarah Gee won the Women’s race - breaking the hour mark in a time of 59:39 ahead of Melissa Neal of Peterborough (1:01.57) as the 43-year-old added the Berkshire county title to her Bronze medal won at the South of England cross country championships last month.

Full results are available on the following link: www.jandresults.co.uk/

LRRL – 2008

Desford 10km

Desford, Leicestershire

Sunday 16th March 2008

MARK POWELL and Tim Hartley less than 24 hours after representing the Leicestershire & Rutland team at the UK Cross Challenge Inter-Counties meeting at Nottingham’s Wollaton Park defied the wind and driving rain to produce a fine competitive race at the final fixture of the 2008 LRRL Winter League campaign held in challenging conditions at Desford.

Over the 10km course Powell (29) representing the Leicester Owls, the reigning two-time Birmingham & District Cross Country League champion, held the advantage as the duo broke clear of the field to cross the line taking victory in a time of 31mins 26secs out sprinting Hartley (Barrow), the impressive winner of the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon the previous weekend, by a margin of 19 seconds by the finish.

Ashley Sabin, as with his Notts team mate Hartley was running in the colours of his second claim club, Leicester Coritanians, clocked 32:51 to secure third place ahead of Beaumont’s Phil Chritchlow (33:15) an athlete who was also in action in Nottingham making his senior county debut on the national stage.

In the Women’s race the new individual Derby Runner Cross Country League champion Gemma Steel, showing no ill-affects of her performance at the Inter-Counties where the 22-year-old Hermitage Harrier was part of the successful Leicestershire team that secured team Bronze, claimed victory ahead of Stilton’s marathon specialist Nicola Clay in a time of 36:54. Beaumont’s county 10,000m track champion Debbie Marsden underlined her consistency by taking third in 37:46.

Full results are available on the results page: www.athletics-leics.com/results.html

The 2008 LRRL Livingston Relays which incorporate the East Midlands Road Relay Championships take place at the Loughborough University Campus on Sunday 23rd March - start time 10.30am. www.athletics-leics.com/leicestershireroadrunningleague2.html